Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Pepper Population Boom

I knew many of my plants would bounce back once the rains returned and the temperatures cooled...but my peppers have something else in mind. I think they intend to take over my gardens.

Not that I would mind. After the dismal summer we had - especially for virtually any kind of veggie gardening - my booming peppers are a welcome presence. Here's the rundown of who's doing what. The seed sources I used are linked for each type.

Antohi Romanian, an Eastern European frying pepper. Gorgeous pale yellow color turns to orange and then flaming red. First prize for production, strength and longevity, even through the hot, dry summer.


The Merlot sweet bell also did pretty well, but really stepped it up when the weather cooled. Stunning purple color fades to red as the fruit sweetens. I ate one today that had a reddish blush to it and my heavens, it was like candy.


Anchos/Poblanos always do fairly well in the Texas heat, if given enough water. Mine's growing in a half whiskey barrel, so adequate irrigation was a constant challenge. With all of this recent rain, it's really kicking butt.


I love the so-called "bull's horn" sweet peppers like Marconis and Cubanelles - they are easy to grow, generally, you get a lot of pepper and not a lot of seeds, and they are extremely versatile in that they can be eaten fresh, baked or fried. These Biscayne Cubanelles have really come on strong lately, although I hope they get just a bit bigger.


Here's a rare site: purple jalapenos growing next to purple cabbage. The jalapenos should be done by now, right? Uh, no. This variety is especially handsome and I'm so glad to see them re-emerge after the rough weather.


Yes, go ahead and ask "So, where are the peppers in this picture?" They're coming, believe me. This is the beautiful, variegated Fish pepper - the fruits are striped too. Unfortunately, this plant got totally munched by a hornworm caterpillar but is now making a remarkable recovery, with flowers starting to emerge. Read a fascinating story about the origin of Fish peppers here.

6 comments:

Snowbrush said...

Peppers are such a joy to look at. For about a year, I ate a lot of habaneros, partly because I liked them--once I got used to them--and partly because they're supposed to be good for Raynauds. I found this to be true.

Tamara said...

That's interesting Snowbrush. I had never heard of Raynauds, but looked it up after reading your post. Any idea what it is about habaneros that may have helped?

Snowbrush said...

Peppers increase circulation, and Raynaud's is characterized by poor circulation to the extremities. That said, it is nervous system related, so I really can't give you a good answer.

Tamara said...

It's always nice to hear of a natural method for finding relief! Thanks for sharing.

Nelson said...

It’s the best practice to grow your peppers in an area with full sun. If you want your seeds to germinate optimally, soil temperatures should be in the 75F-85°F (optimum 85°F)

David said...

Great information being shared Nelson. I never thought that peppers should be grown in full sun.